Specific developmental disorders, generally known as learning disabilities, are conditions that may impair a child's ability to keep up with peers in reading, writing, speaking, physical coordination and math skills. Such conditions do not result from lack of intelligence; an affected child may have average or above intelligence. They result when a particular skill or ability fails to develop at the expected age. Learning disabilities differ from other developmental disorders in the limited range of their effects; unlike mentally retarded or autistic children, learning disabled children show impairment in only one or a few specific areas. For example, a child with a learning disability might be above average in math but way below in reading.
These problems commonly become apparent during kindergarten and the early school years. They affect from five to 20 percent of school-age children, most of them boys. Other conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression, often accompany learning disabilities.
WHEN SHOULD I SUSPECT THAT MY CHILD HAS A LEARNING DISABILITY?
Children with learning disabilities often have one or more of the following characteristics:
• Problems in listening, speaking, reading, writing, spelling or mathematics
• Short attention span
• Difficulty in following directions
• Distractibility
• Low frustration threshold
• Poor memory
• Poor coordination and clumsiness
• Organizational difficulties
WHAT CAUSES LEARNING DISABILITIES?
Learning disabilities are believed to arise from abnormalities in the physiology of the brain. There is also some evidence of a genetic cause, since a child is more likely to develop learning disabilities if others in the family have them.
Rarely, learning disabilities are associated with problems during birth, particularly brain injury or exposure to infection. Higher rates of learning disabilities also correlate with low birth weight, as well as with maternal drug, alcohol and tobacco use. Other possible causes, such as dietary allergies and vitamin deficiencies, have not been well substantiated.
IS MEDICAL ATTENTION NECESSARY?
Yes. You should consult your child's doctor as soon as problems become apparent. Some symptoms may show up before school age, as in, for example, a toddler or preschooler with inadequate language skills. In many cases, the learning disability may not appear until first or second grade, or even later, when the child falls behind others in class. The earlier the problem is identified and diagnosed, the better.
HOW CAN THE DOCTOR TELL IF MY CHILD HAS LEARNING DISABILITIES?
The doctor will conduct an initial interview with you, your child and possibly your child's teacher. He will want to know about your family history, any possible problems during the pregnancy and delivery and your child's medical history. An examination to rule out vision or hearing problems, other neurological disorders or other conditions that might contribute to a learning problem should follow.
The doctor then may administer simple screening tests, which usually consist of a series of questions posed to the child and parents, possibly in addition to a few tasks for the child to perform. If these tests suggest the presence of a learning disability, the next step is usually referral to a specialist such as a child psychologist or developmental pediatrician, who can conduct more detailed tests to determine the specific type of disorder affecting your child.
WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?
Remedial education is the main tool in dealing with learning disabilites. This generally means giving special attention to compensate for the disorder through tutoring or scheduled visits to a school resource center. Schools are required by law to provide such attention to children diagnosed with learning disabilities.
Special education enables the child to stay in a regular classroom setting as much as possible, although in some severe cases, full-time special education may be needed.
The earlier treatment begins, the better; so preschool children with deficient language skills should receive help as soon as possible. Studies have shown that children whose problems are identified in preschool do better in school if they receive training in specific perceptual and language skills. The method is to build ability in tasks such as sorting, shape recognition and speech awareness before starting school.
Children who have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as learning disabilities may benefit from stimulant drugs, which increase their ability to concentrate on one thing at a time.
Counseling can help children with learning disabilities cope with stress, depression or anxiety. Social-skills training can help children who are teased by their classmates.
Also, parents sometimes need help coping with their children's problems. Learning to understand and accept the child's learning disabilities often goes a long way toward improving the family atmosphere.
COPING WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES
Children with learning disabilities often have problems with self-esteem, social adjustment, and age-appropriate behavior at school and at home. They are also vulnerable to feelings of sadness or depression. Such children need a great deal of encouragement and require a lot of patience.
It is best to speak only with your child. Explain that everyone has strengths and weaknesses—someone who reads well, for example, may be unable to carry a tune. Help your child understand his pattern of learning, and teach him coping skills. For example, if the child cannot remember things, make lists or plan ahead.
Look for ways your child can succeed. Offer plenty of praise for things the child does well. All children have strenghts and weaknesses. Children with learning disabilities need to be taught strategies to compensate for the weak areas.
Help your child develop social skills. Invite children over to play. Role-play or discuss social situations in private if you see your child responding to friends inappropriately.
Finally, it is vital to be an advocate for your child's education. Get a quality evaluation for you and the best treatment, and don't stop until you do. If severe reading problems are identified and addressed in the early grades, children may return to the appropriate grade level within two years. If problems aren't identified and treated by fifth grade, few will catch up to grade level. There is no cure for learning disabilities, but children who receive proper treatment, particularly in school, can learn to compensate for their problems, which need not result in insurmountable obstacles to higher education or rewarding career choices.
THREE CATEGORIES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES Academic skills disorders
• Developmental reading disorder (also known as dyslexia). This disorder causes impairment in word recognition and reading comprehension skills.
• Developmental expressive writing disorder. The disorder results in difficulty spelling and expressing thoughts through words.
• Developmental arithmetic disorder. In this disorder, math skills are well below intellectual capacity or grade level.
• Nonverbal learning disability. This disorder is characterized by difficulty with visual spatial skills and often arithmetic, and personality traits, such as depression and shyness.
Language and speech disorders
• Developmental articulation disorder. Children with this disorder substitute or omit speech sounds, giving the impression of baby talk but speak in full sentences.
• Developmental expressive language disorder. Children with this problem hear and comprehend normally but do not produce age-appropriate speech.
• Developmental receptive language disorder. This disorder is marked by failure to understand and produce language at an age-appropriate level.
Motor skills disorder
• This disorder (also called developmental coordination disorder) is characterized by difficulty performing everyday tasks that require physical coordination, such as handwriting.
PREVENTING LEARNING DISABILITIES
Because the exact cause of learning disabilities is unknown, no precise preventive measures can be idenitified. In general, though, good prenatal care may reduce the chance that a baby will eventually have learning problems. Do not use alcohol, tobacco or drugs during pregnancy.
